Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the CONCACAF Gold Cup match.
Mexico remain the only team to reach the semi-finals of this year’s Gold Cup without needing penalties — exactly the kind of statement you’d expect from the tournament’s top favourites.
Mexico
Mexico cruised past the lone invited team, Saudi Arabia, who are far from the force they once were in Asian football. The team dominated every aspect of the match. Saudi Arabia offered next to nothing going forward — their only effort of note was a wayward long-range shot. The rest of the time, they were pinned back under a relentless wave of attacks. The Mexicans registered 14 shots, five of them on target. Only one was officially theirs on the scoresheet — the second came courtesy of a Saudi own goal born of poor defensive technique.
Honduras
It’s hard to imagine Honduras progressing past a side of Panama’s calibre without going the distance. That’s exactly what happened — they equalised late through a corner and took advantage of Panama’s lapse in concentration. Anthony Lozano made the most of the moment, but then nearly became the villain in the penalty shootout, missing the decisive fifth effort while Honduras were ahead. Luckily for them, Panama squandered their own chance to seal it.
Mexico vs Honduras Prediction
There’s little reason to believe Honduras can pose any real threat to Mexico. Unlike Panama, the Mexicans won’t let things slip late on. They are desperate to reclaim the Gold Cup crown they last won two years ago, and they’ve shown the intensity and discipline to match that ambition. Expect a confident, clinical performance — Mexico should win by at least two goals.
